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With a hiss, Nimue sagged on the ground before me. I sank, still clutching the tree. An anguished scream escaped my lips, and I wept over the rush of memories that played in my mind like a horror movie. The enchantress had returned to the cave one last time to care for me, and her sympathetic nature had been her downfall. Starving and out of my mind, I heard her approach. I may have known it was her, at first, but the blood rage silenced my reasoning mind. That was no excuse for my cruel attack.
Nimue had carried a bundle of firewood into the cave, humming as she walked. I was perpetually cold in those days and not accustomed to the chill that accompanied the curse of the shee blood. She continued to hum as she entered, a kind announcement of her presence, but it would not do her any good this night. Like a monster leaping from the shadows, I bared my teeth and plunged them into her sweet flesh. Her screams fell on deaf ears; the pounding of my hungry heart was all I could hear, and it consumed me. As my flesh warmed and my thirst became satiated, the cloud cleared from my eyes and I saw her face, her terrified eyes watching me.
Nimue’s bloody head lay in my lap. Her mouth moved, but no words came forth. “Nimue?” My hands shook as I smoothed her hair from her wet face. Her hand rose to my face, but she was unable to reach me. Her eyelids flickered as she seized from the massive blood loss that she had endured. “Nimue!” I screamed as I held her thrashing body to mine. She would die; no one could survive such brutality. No one had before.
Except Nimue.
Shaking myself out of my awful reverie and ignoring the smell of death, I moved toward her, nearly crawling. Nimue hissed again, but then I realized she wasn’t hissing at me—she was trying to breathe. “Nimue, I have done this to you. I have done this!”
I crawled to her, just an arm’s length away now, and closed my eyes. If she wanted to kill me, to take my blood, I would let her. I didn’t care. My agony was complete. But she didn’t pounce on me; she didn’t move at all, except for her head.
Suddenly I heard her voice in my mind.
Leave...Guinevere...go.
I shook my head and moved my hand toward her.
No, Nimue. I will not leave you. I did this to you. I did this.
No choice. Tell Arthur. Take back Camelot.
“I cannot leave you, Nimue,” I said aloud as I sat up and drew even closer to her. “Not like this.”
She said something else, but she was so weak, much weaker than I, and her voice was unintelligible. I could not offer her much help, but I had to do something. Without another word, I sank my teeth into my right wrist. Hovering the open wound over her mouth, I allowed my blood to drip. My vampire nature healed my wound quickly. As I went to bite my other wrist, her hand flew up.
It is enough. Go back. Find Arthur. Camelot needs him.
Nimue immediately began to heal. Her hair brightened, and the rotting flesh turned pink and became healthy once again. She was not completely herself again, but she never would be. And that was all my fault.
“How can I leave you here with Thalia and the others? Come with me.”
I must stay. Go while you can. The portal is closing. I will remain close by and open it for you when you return. Bring Arthur!
And then Nimue left me. She crawled away at first, then stood as her strength returned, vanishing from my sight past the tree line.
Nimue, I will be back for you. I will bring Arthur!
Clutching my gut, ignoring the pain of my hunger, I made my way back to the path I’d originally departed from. I was careful to avoid Thalia’s children, Sun and Moon, and saw no one else. I did not even see the blue-faced warbler who’d lured me into the forest.
There! There was the stone circle, and yes, the shimmer in the air remained. It was only the size of a fist now. I heard footsteps behind me. Someone was coming, someone I could not see. Any minute, they would make the turn in the road and I would be found out. I would be captured. I couldn’t understand why Thalia let me go in the first place, except perhaps in the hopes that Nimue would take her vengeance on me.
But unlike me, Nimue had shown mercy. Again. Tilting my head down, I shoved my hand through the shimmer. The portal widened, and soon I could put my whole body through.
Once again, I had left Camelot behind.
